Weinberg Vol. 2: String Quartets 1, 7,11

For this the second volume in their series of Weinberg’s string quartets, the Arcadia Quartet again presents three quartets from contrasting periods in the stylistic development of the composer. The first quartet of the self-taught teenager, written in 1937, in what Weinberg later described as his ‘neo-impressionist’ style, was heavily revised later in his life, and eventually republished as Op. 141, in 1985. (It is this revised version that has been recorded here, the original version surviving only in manuscript form, in places virtually illegible.) The seventh quartet dates from 1957, after a gap of twenty turbulent years that had witnessed the emigration of Weinberg from Poland to Russia, his introduction to Shostakovich, and his experience of censorship and imprisonment in 1953. In contrast to his earlier quartets, the mood is more intimate and withdrawn, yet defiant. The eleventh quartet was composed between 13 October 1965 and 25 December 1966, at a time when Weinberg was mulling over the composition of his first opera, The Passenger. It is dedicated to his first daughter, Victoria, and was premièred by the Borodin Quartet on 13 April 1967 in the Chamber Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.

Mieczysław Weinberg String Quartets no. 1, 7, 11 released by Chandos Records (2022).

To order, stream or download: https://lnk.to/WeinbergSQ2

Weinberg Volume 2 has been released by Chandos Records
Volume 2 is here! We are delighted to share with you our second disc of the Weinberg string quartet series, freshly released by Chandos Records on May 13, 2022. It has been quite a whirlwind to record Volume 2, with all the uncertainty, delays, organising and travelling challenges in the midst of the pandemic, but we finally were able to do it in November 2021. The beautiful Potton Hall Studio in the Suffolk countryside, a barn turned into a professional recording venue with vaulted ceiling and wooden flooring, provided a timeless space, where, detached from the world, we could only focus on the captivating music of Mieczysław Weinberg. String quartets no. 1, 7 and 11 from this album takes us on a journey through time, through a wide range of symbols, emotions and colours. We are delighted to share this album with you on the official release date, by Chandos Records.

Financial Times: Arcadia Quartet give a first-rate performance in Weinberg: String Quartets
‘The performances by the Arcadia Quartet are first-rate, giving a wide-ranging overview of Weinberg’s progress as a composer.’
Financial Times recommends our Weinberg String Quartets, Vol. 2.
by Richard Fairman, Financial Times, UK, May 13, 2023
https://www.ft.com/content/e2412102-6380-48bc-a612-c5c8a2a00850?fbclid=IwAR3ui_tmbaosDi6u35_-8_e2ahQkJquwqZvFZWDmzFLTpOVkRwgmAcL-fds

CHIMEO: These quartets are arresting in the way the music draws the listener into Weinberg’s world and captured beautifully by the Arcadia Quartet.
‘They give outstanding performances of these unknown quartets […] These quartets are arresting in the way the music draws the listener into Weinberg's world and captured beautifully by the Arcadia Quartet.’
by Andrew Palmer, Chimeo.com, UK, May 18, 2022
https://chimeo.com/article/Classical-Music-Album-Weinberg-String-Quartets-Vol-2

A 4 star review from Helsingin Sanomat
Finnish Newspaper gives a 4 star review to WWeinberg Vol. 2
by Jukka Isopuro, Helsingin Sanomat, June 14, 2022
https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000008882471.html

Weinberg Vol. 2 is Limelight Magazine’s Recording of the Month for July 2022
“Our Recording of the Month features music by Mieczysław Weinberg, the increasingly rated Polish-Jewish composer who found a tenuous refuge in the USSR and was a close friend of Shostakovich. The Romanian Arcadia Quartet ’s second volume of his string quartets (CHAN20174 ) is a must for anyone with an interest in the composer’s life and times or the genre in general. As they explain, coming across Weinberg’s music felt like a true moment of artistic discovery. His music is like a glow of light surrounded by the darkness of the unknown, and it quickly became a goal of ours to attempt to dilute these shadows.” by Clive Paget, On the Record: July 2022, Limelight Magazine, Australia
Our Weinberg Vol. 2 released by Chandos Records is Limelight Magazine’s Recording of the Month for July. Here is an interview with Traian about our second disc of the series. Thank you
Clive Paget and Limelight!
https://limelightmagazine.com.au/features/on-the-record-july-2022/

Limelight Magazine gives a 5 star review to Weinberg: String Quartets Nos 1, 7 & 11
“This is the second volume in the Arcadia Quartet’s tour of the Polish-Jewish composer’s quartets and matches the excellence of the first. (…) Recorded with exemplary warmth and clarity by Chandos Records, the program brings together three quartets from different points in the composer’s life.”
“String Quartet No 7 ventures into philosophical territory, opening with a questing slow movement that the Arcadias pace superbly. Not only that, but there’s also always a sense that the music is entirely grounded, each gesture unfolding as naturally as breathing. (…)The Arcadia Quartet totally commits to the music.”
“If his music has languished in the shadows for too long, the Arcadia Quartet should be applauded for bringing it into the light.”
Mieczysław Weinberg: String Quartets Nos 1, 7 & 11 (Arcadia Quartet)
Pitch perfect interpretations of works spanning a composer’s chequered lifetime.
by Rebecca Franks, Limelight Magazine, Australia, June 20, 2022
https://limelightmagazine.com.au/reviews/mieczyslaw-weinberg-string-quartets-nos-1-7-11-arcadia-quartet/

Weinberg gets the Arcadia treatment
Weinberg Vol. 2 is Limelight Magazine’s Recording of the Month for July. Here is an interview with Traian about our second disc of the series. Thank you Clive Paget and Limelight! Arcadia Quartet violist Traian Boală talks to Clive Paget about the second volume of Mieczysław Weinberg’s String Quartets.
by Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine, Australia, June 21, 2022
https://limelightmagazine.com.au/features/weinberg-gets-the-arcadia-treatment/

5 star rating and review from BBC Music Magazine
Celebrating a five star rating and review from BBC Music Magazine today! We are also grateful for the amazing work done by Chandos Records in recording Mieczysław Weinberg’s captivating music with such professionalism.
“The second volume in the Arcadia Quartet’s Weinberg cycle is every bit as impressive as its predecessor. The performers, supported by a warm but clear recording, really get to the heart of the music, exploiting a wide spectrum of emotions in each of these works, and taking infinite care in maximising textural variety and instrumental balance.”
“The First is unquestionably a remarkable achievement. However, its oversaturated chromatic writing and densely scored passage work, especially in the opening movement, pose considerable challenges for the performers. The Arcadias overcome these potential problems superbly, bringing both clarity and a real sense of direction to the music.”
“(…) The Arcadias negotiate the ebb and flow of the musical argument with compelling power, unleashing an almost unhinged sense of emotional collapse when Weinberg’s writing is at its most ferocious.”
– writes Erik Levi in his review of Weinberg Vol. 2., Classical Music by BBC Music Magazine,
UK, June 24, 2022
https://www.classical-music.com/reviews/chamber/weinberg-string-quartets-nos-1-7-and-11/

PAN M 360, Canada about Weinberg Vol. 2
“Le premier numéro de cette intégrale était une grande réussite. Celui-ci l’est tout autant. On ne peut qu’être impatient d’attendre les prochains volumes.”
by Frédéric Cardin, PAN M 360, Canada, June 25, 2022
https://panm360.com/records/arcadia-quartet-weinberg-string-quartets-volume-2-nos-1-7-11-chandos/

MusicWeb-International reviews Weinberg Vol. 2
“… The obvious reverence the musicians have for the music shines through in these beautifully nuanced performances.”
by Steve Arloff, MusicWeb-International.com, July 6, 2022
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2022/Jul/Weinberg-quartets-v2-CHAN20174.htm

Weinberg Vol. 2 reviewed by The Strad: A second volume of quartets makes a strong case for this Soviet master
“Why aren’t these quartets more well known? (…)They receive, in this ambient recording, the most persuasive of interpretations, each phrase and nuance nurtured. This second volume from the much-lauded Arcadia Quartet reveals the players as masters of homogenous textures;”
by Joanne Talbot, The Strad, UK, July 8, 2022
https://www.thestrad.com/reviews/arcadia-quartet-weinberg/14952.article

5 star review from The Times and The Sunday Times
“A beautifully balanced second volume that captures Weinberg at different stages of his career… the Arcadia Quartet are tireless guides, illuminating and investigating, and their evident passion for the works sweeps you along”
by Dan Cairns, MUSIC REVIEWS: The best albums of 2022 so far, The Sunday Times, UK, July 10, 2022
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-new-albums-of-2022-so-far-3kncz7ktz

Weinberg Vol. 2 has been nominated for Recording of the Year 2022 by Limelight
Our Weinberg Vol. 2 has been nominated for Recording of the Year 2022 by Limelight! The Australian magazine’s critics have announced ‘the 25 finest releases of the last 12 months’, including our freshly released disc by Chandos Records in the chamber music section, besides four other excellent recordings. We are delighted by this consideration and appreciation!

Limelight Magazine, Australia, July 12, 2022
https://limelightmagazine.com.au/news/limelight-recording-of-the-year-2022-shortlist/

Weinberg Vol. 2 nominated for ICMA 2023
Weinberg Vol. 2 has been nominated for the 2023 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA)!
“The International Classical Music Awards ICMA today announced the nominations for their Awards 2023, celebrating the best musicians and recordings. This year’s nominations include many renowned soloists, ensembles, conductors and orchestras as well as a lot of young musicians, many of them being first-nominees. A total of 391 audio and video productions (+14)
from 117 labels have been nominated.” – source ICMA
ICMA, November 15, 2022
https://www.icma-info.com/icma-jury-nominates-391-releases-for-the-2023-awards-2/